New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-14

| other as sharply as steel They have taken not
the least thought Of harmonies or contrasts Ihey
have flown their flags broadly out as they caIhe
as nature scatters her flowers and with the same
result a beauty that owes nothing 10 design and
everything TO chance, and with all the varied love-
| illness of tropical forest Far rs You can see
these flags are nutterng; blazing in your eyes
| from the ships VIC pass gimmenng family against
the sky miles away; the flush of sunrise ana the
delicate fading glow Of sunset; the autumn tntS
| Of American woods in the foreground sOftening
in the distance TO the iridescCnt opal OF moon
light sea. 1t is an enehantment and an Illusion
Al the grimness of war is gone; it is spectacle
to put upon stage with the world for audiences
q scene for Kings and Queens and all the soVcr-
cigns of a great Republic to gaze on.
The foreigners-for il is ever thus that our
| cousin John Bull refers 10 ships or men VINO are
| not of his island-the foreigners were not less
gayly dressed than the home division, but In very
different fashion. Their flags run up and down
| the halliards and shrouds so that the iphlsche
and the Dutchman whose name in English Is silver
Cross, present to the eye succession o! trahsies
In many colors. 1t is pretty but sun Neither
ship is meant to set forth the strength OF her
native land They old-fashiOned frigates or
corvettes, and the Iphigenie is II training vessel
for French mdshipmen. Tonight she VIII be
hotel for the Ambassador Of France and Madame
Washington, for whom. when the time came for
them to quit the IIelicon. the Iphigenic sends
smarty manned tweve-oared gig. Not far of
from the Iphigenic hes q long, low black steam
ship with fine lines and slightly sprung bow
spirit and yellow funnel, and a good sized
American flag dropping lazily her stern. She
carries at her main peak Union Jack some
eighteen inches square, at Der fore what l sup
pose to be the private pennant Of the New-iork
Yacht Club, and q sort of bdrgce which do not
make out at her mizzen. These four flags and no
more Naked and unashamed, there she lies.
privileged to anchor in the waters jealousy re-
served for foreign men-of-wur the only yacht to
whom this favor has been shown, and the My
craft in the Solent to-day not covered with flags.
Her owner is Mr.. Vanderbilt, of New-lork, and
many are the comments on the singular taste hc
has shown and the singular way in which lac
acknowledges the courtesy shown him, and shown
him alone, by the Admiralty. Some mistake Of
courSe-nobody could wilfully be guilty OF such
piece Of bad manners this. The captain had
no orders and Mr.. Vanderbilt forgot and nobody
else would take the responsibility of his forget
fuincss, and the one vessel that appeared under
American colors appeared as an offender against
that unwrittcn law which eXacts from guests
a certain degree of civilty TO their hosts
Before all the sharp things this ccccntricity
provotes have been said, there comes suddenly
between the IIelicOn and the Alva the most
singular sight Of the day. The handsome tar
who is hcaving the al from the Ilclicon's paddle
boX is heard to mutter that the real sea serpent
has arrived at last. The real sea serpent is "a
marrow wash Of water travelling twelve miles an
hour, breaking as n wave breaks on tho beach
something that looks like funnel, and is, pro-
ccting from the surge; biacl. line hardly visible
at its edges. This is the new NorleniclIt sub
marine torpedo, end quit the wichedost looking
piece of marine architecture 10 be seen or not
SEEM today We have passed before CHANGING on
this phenomenon tie whole feet, the
whole range of anchored troop ships
and merchant steamers The yachts
lie far 10 the north 80 DO the torpedo boats and
gunboats which NE shall see nj oar leisure pres
entity. Bat we keep straight on toward Osborne
and presently the Heicon lets go he's anchor
half mile from shore and a cable length from
the EnchantrcSs, and there it is she is 10 wait
for the coming Of the Queen. G W. s.